Beyond Cholesterol: The Real Root of Heart Disease
Good Honest Talk S2 Ep 8 - Heart Health
We’ve all heard the message: Lower your cholesterol to protect your heart. But what if I told you cholesterol isn’t the whole story?
In fact, for many people, it’s not even the most important part.
In this episode I wanted to share what I believe is one of the most overlooked truths in modern healthcare: Chronic inflammation and insulin resistance are the true root drivers of heart disease, and they often go unnoticed.
Why We Need to Widen The Focus Of Heart Health
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death globally, yet we continue to focus heavily on cholesterol, sometimes overlooking deeper contributors like:
Ongoing low-grade inflammation
Unstable blood sugar and insulin resistance
Gut dysfunction
Chronic stress
Poor sleep and recovery
These factors don’t just influence heart health, they often create the conditions for heart disease to begin.
What Is Inflammation and Why Does It Matter?
Inflammation is your body’s built-in defence system. When you cut yourself or catch a virus, inflammation helps you heal.
But when it becomes chronic—due to stress, poor food choices, toxins, or gut imbalances—it can silently damage the lining of your blood vessels and promote plaque build-up.
A 2017 study involving over 10,000 participants showed that even without lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation alone lowered heart attack risk.
That’s a big deal.
Insulin Resistance: The Hidden Heart Risk
Insulin resistance is when your cells stop responding effectively to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. It’s incredibly common especially in people with fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and PCOS.
Insulin resistance is pro-inflammatory and can directly damage the cardiovascular system.
If you have a family history of heart disease, it’s worth looking deeper into your blood sugar regulation and inflammatory markers (like CRP, HbA1c, fasting insulin and homocysteine).
Gut Health, Oral Health, Stress, and Sleep: The Silent Influencers
Let’s not forget: your gut and heart are intimately connected. An unhealthy microbiome can:
Raise blood pressure
Alter cholesterol metabolism
Increase systemic inflammation
Affect blood sugar control
And then there’s stress and sleep, two potent influences on cardiovascular health. Chronically high cortisol levels (your stress hormone) drive inflammation, raise blood sugar, and increase plaque build-up.
If your sleep is poor, your body’s natural repair systems can’t do their job, meaning everything from blood pressure to insulin sensitivity takes a hit.
What You Can Do Today to Support Your Heart
Here are a few simple, evidence-based changes you can start with:
1. Eat to Lower Inflammation and Stabilise Blood Sugar
Prioritise fibre, protein and healthy fats at each meal
Add omega-3-rich foods (like salmon, mackerel, flax, chia)
Avoid ultra-processed, sugary, or refined foods
Cook with olive oil, garlic, turmeric, and colourful vegetables
2. Move Consistently, Not Excessively
Walk, stretch, or do resistance training most days
Avoid overtraining, especially if you’re stressed
3. Prioritise Sleep & Recovery
Aim for 7–9 hours nightly
Keep screens out of the bedroom
Wake and sleep at consistent times
4. Manage Stress in Meaningful Ways
Try breathwork, journaling, gardening, or nature walks
Laugh, dance, connect with people you love
Swap high-intensity workouts for gentle movement when you’re burnt out
5. Nourish Your Gut
Add prebiotics (onions, garlic, oats, legumes)
Include fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir)
Limit alcohol and unnecessary medications
You Are Not Your Cholesterol Number
You can have “normal” cholesterol and still be at high risk for heart disease.
Or have “high” cholesterol but a strong anti-inflammatory lifestyle that keeps you well.
The truth is: your daily habits like what you eat, how you move, how you manage stress matter more than any single blood test.
If this resonates, and you’d like to go deeper, I’ve created a free download and podcast episode that covers all of this in more detail:
🎧 Listen to the full episode: “Beyond Cholesterol: A Whole-Person Approach to Heart Health”
🎥 Join the 5-Day Heart Health Challenge on YouTube